Phouoibi

This article is about a goddess. For other uses, seePhouoibi (disambiguation).

Phouoibi
Goddess of agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvesting, paddy, rice and wealth
Member ofLairembis
Goddess Phouoibi
Other names	Fouoibi, Fouoipi, Fouleima, Foureima, Phouoipi, Phouleima, Phoureima
Meitei
Affiliation	Meitei mythology(Manipuri mythology) andreligion(Sanamahism)
Abodes	FarmsandFields
Artifacts	Round black stone kept inside a pot
Symbol	Paddy
Texts	Phouoibi Warol
Gender	Female
Region	Ancient Kangleipak(Antique Manipur)
Ethnic group	Meitei ethnicity
Festivals	Lai Haraoba
Personal information
Consort	Phou Ningthou
Parents	Salailen(alias Soraren) (father)
Siblings	Thumleima,NgaleimaandEreima(Ireima)
Greek equivalent	Demeter
Roman equivalent	Ceres

Phouoibi (Fouoibi)orPhouoipi (Fouoipi)orPhouleima (Fouleima)orPhoureima (Foureima)is thegoddessand the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth inMeitei mythologyandreligionofAncient Manipur(Antique Kangleipak). She is the lover ofAkongjamba,a hero in ancient legends.But fate doesn't permit the lovers to unite. So, Phouoibi and Akongjamba reincarnated in the legends. She was sent byThangjingtoKege Moirang (Keke Moilang)to prosper the human world. The lives of the two legendary lovers were believed to be enacted byThangjingas a part of theMoirang Saiyonof theMoirang Kangleirollegends.

Phouoibi is aspiritof the rice. So, she is not a member of theUmang Lais.

The characters of Phouoibi and other goddesses includingPanthoibiandEmoinudepict as well as influence the boldness, courage, independence, righteousness and social honour ofMeitei women. TheMeitei peoplebelieve that the gleaming black stone is a personification of the goddess, which if kept inside the earthenware pot of the granary, will bring good luck and prosperity, as long as it shines.

Etymology

PhouoibiorPhouleimaliterally meansLady of the PaddyinMeitei (Manipuri).Phou (Fou)means "unhuskedrice",paddy."Oibi" is derived from the verb "oiba" (meaning "to become" ) with the feminine suffix "i".

Description

Phouoibi is a goddess who is veryficklein love. She fell in love with many mortals. However, she doesn't live permanently with anyone of them. She went to many places and made love with many mortals only to discard them later. She lived with her favorite lover for some time and later left him. Her nature symbolizes that wealth doesn't last long. There were frequent wars and natural calamities in ancient times. So, the goddess of paddy is described as very inconstant in favouring to the mankind.

According toMeitei culture,the anger of Phouoibi was provoked with the neglect of paddy or rice. The rites and rituals dedicated to the goddess were regularly performed. By doing this, possible misfortunes were warded off that could have came to the peasants.

Mythology

Phouleima (alias Phouoibi) — Primordial Meitei mother goddess & divine female personification of agricultural crop plants (especially paddy)

Once Phouoibi (Fouoibi) set out for a journey along with her sisters (friendsin another version),NgaleimaandThumleima.InMoirang,when the goddess was about to cross a river,Akongjambacame to the spot for hunting. Akongjamba and Phouoibi fell in love at first sight.

After some time passed, Phouoibi visited the house of Akongjamba. She disguised herself as a tribal woman (haonupiorhaonubi). Akongjamba was not there but Akongjamba's mother didn't give her good hospitality. Akongjamba's mother was about to hit Phouoibi (disguised as a tribal woman) with a swiping broom. If the broom touched the goddess, all her magical powers will get lost. So, Phouoibi fled to a coop (henhouse). She transfigured herself as a chicken. Akongjamba's mother followed her and counted the number of chicken.She found the number of chicken exactly as it was, neither more nor less. So, she went back to her home. Phouoibi spent the night inside the filthy and smelly henhouse. On the next day, she once again took her original form of a beautiful maiden in a glowing dress. She called Akongjamba's mother to come out. She told her that she wanted to give her the payment for spending a night at hers. She shook an enormous heap of golden grain off her body in the middle of the front yard of the house. Then, Phouoibi left the place travelling towards south east. Akongjamba's mother remained surprised.

In another version of the story, Phouoibi stayed a night at theyenakha(left or right side of the house). The place where the goddess stayed came to be known asPhayeng(faiorphaimeansto stay).

Later,Akongjambareturned home and found the pile of golden grain as high as a hill in front of the courtyard. When asked, his mother told him all the story. He realised that the lady was Phouoibi. He immediately aftered her. On the way, he found her. He pleaded her to return home and live together. But she refused his proposal. She told him that they are not destined to be together to accomplish their work at that birth. Saying this, she left him sorrowfully.

As Phouoibi travelled towards southeast, she reached a riverbank. She did not know how deep the river was. At that moment, adeerappeared on the other side of the river. She asked the deer if the river was shallow or not. The deer lied telling her that the river was not deep. Phouoibi went down the river. She could not swim and got drowned.

A small ngamhai fish was also swimming there. It helped the drowning goddess to reach the shore of the next riverbank. She thanked the little creature and granted it a boon that it will shine like a mirror in the gleaming water. She wished that the ballad singers will always praise the fish for its silvery beauty whenever they retold her story.

Then, she glared at the deer. She cursed the deer and all its species that if they tried to eat her creation -paddy,then all their teeth will be fallen. So, still today, thedeersnever eatpaddybecause of the fear that their teeth will fall off.

Worship

Poinu(November-December interface month) is theMeitei lunar monthof harvesting and the granary must not be disturbed. Its subsequent monthWakching(December-January interface month) is the time during which Goddess Phouoibi is worshipped.

Plan of the ceremony dedicated to goddess Phauwoibi, sketch drawn byCol. John Shakespearin 1913

• A - A mat with the offerings of fruits and vegetables at the 4 corners.
• B - Erected posts (poles) to support a white colored canopy.
• C - Vegetables and a Sareng fish offered to the goddess.
• D - Seven varieties of paddy.
• E - Offerings to the 7Lairemmas (Lairembis)on a cloth.
• F - Offerings to the 9Umang Lais.
• G - A flag.
• H - Empty pot to cook the offerings.
• M - Position of theMaiba.

Goddess Phouoibi is offered fruits and vegetables in the four corners of a specially prepared place. The place is divided into 3 sections. At each division, seeds are sown.The goddess is invoked by themaibaswith the sacrifice of black hen and the offering of rice beer.

If the previous year's crop harvest was good, themaibaprayed to the goddess to give them good crops that year too. And if the previous year's crop harvest was not satisfactory, themaibaprayed to the goddess to give them satisfactory crops with no insects that year.

Rice and flowers on the banana leaves are thrown up on the harvest field by the farmers.

After threshing,Phou Kouba(calling the paddy/rice) ceremony is performed.Phoukourol (Phoukouron or Phougourol or Phougouron)is a hymn for summoning the spirit of the paddy.

Phoukou (Phougou) song is sung like this:

"He Lairemma Phouoibi!
Toi Toi Toi
Thangee Phoubi Peibiro!
Toi Toi Toi
Chaku Lankubiro!
Toi Toi Toi
Thangeena Chingdum Sabiro!
Toi Toi Toi
Ho Lairemma Phouoibi!
Toi Toi Toi "

To have abundant crop harvest, theMeitei peoplesingPhougou Eshei.

It is generally sung during harvest.It is done before the crop is stored in the granary.Goddess Phouoibi is worshipped withPhou Ningthou,the god of rice. Farmers prayed to the two deities for a doubling of the previous year's yield, after the harvest.

ThePhou Kouba(calling the paddy/rice) ceremony is more frequently performed in case of mis-happenings to the farmers. Mis-happenings may be theft or burning of the paddy/rice, an animal like cow trespasses the threshing ground, etc. People believe that these are all because of the absence of the goddess. So, they perform the rites and rituals to induce the goddess to stay at their places.

In such cases,Sareng fish (Wallago attu, helicopter catfish)with rice is the most important offering to goddess Phouoibi. It should be cooked withherbsand not withspices.

TheSharotkhaibam (Sorokhaibam)family members used to invoke goddess Phouoibi in ancient times.

Identification with other deities

Further information:Incarnations of Leimarel Sidabi

Goddess Phouoibi is often identified as a manifestation of GoddessPanthoibi.Many legends say thatPanthoibibecame Phouoibi after ametamorphosis.She is also regarded as the incarnation ofLeimarel Sidabi,the supreme mother earth goddess.

Iconography

Goddess Phouleima often appears in ancient potteries. She is personified in a round black stone sitting in a pot. It is placed upon the bed of rice grains inside the granary. It is never kept directly on the ground. As long as the goddess is respected, the granary has no lack of grains.

Texts

In Phouoibi Waron

See the main article:Phouoibi Waron

ThePhouoibi Waron (Phouoibi Warol)is a 13-14th centuryMeiteiliterary work that mentions Goddess Phouoibi as aficklelady. According to the text, the goddess has love affairs with multiple partners and she always departs them.

In Ningthourol Lambuba

See the main article:Ningthourol Lambuba

TheNingthourol Lambubamentions that goddess Phouoibi and her six friends went to a place namedKaran Lambuba.They measured all their walking sticks to know whose was the longest one. The stick of Phouoibi was found to be the longest from all by one knot. So, one knot was cut off. The place where the stick was cut off was named asKakmayai(kakliterally meansto cutinManipuri).

In Loyumba Shinyen

See the main article:Loyumba Shinyen

TheLoyumba Shinyenmentions that people of a family namedSharotkhaibam (Sorokhaibam)used to invoke the goddess of paddy in ancient times.

In popular culture

• Phou-oibi, the rice goddessis a 2009 ballad opera performed by theLaihui Ensemble.It is based on the story of the goddess and her sisters.
• Phouoibi Shayonis a 2017Manipurimythology movie based on the story of the goddess and her sisters.

Namesakes

In agriculture

In 1979,Phouoibi (formerly known as KD6-2-1)andPunshi (formerly known as KD6-18-7)were developed in Manipur State Rice Research Center, Wangbal. After thesericevarieties were released, 75 percent of the areas planting high yielding crops constitute 25 percent of Phouoibi rice. Phouoibi matures in 135 days (4–5 months).These rice varieties were found to be more likely to be affected by the insects as compared to the local varieties likePhourelandMoirang Phou.

In commerce

Ima Keithel(English:Mothers' Market), the world's only women run market, has three major building complexes.Phouoibi Ima Keithel is the Complex Number 3, preceded byLeimarel Sidabi Ima Keithel(Complex Number 1) andImoinu Ima Keithel(Complex Number 2).This 500 years old market is in the center ofImphal,the metropolis ofManipur.

Other websites

• Phouoibi_archive.org
• Phouoibi_e-pao.net